Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution that involves not eating sweets or baked goods? How’d that go for you? Yeah, me too. That is why I don’t do that one anymore. Nowadays my resolutions involving food tend to be much more doable. Last year I simply resolved not to buy salad dressing at the supermarket any more. Guess what? I succeeded! The year started off with the purchase of a few interesting vinegars and oils and moving a stash of Kerr jars from the garage to the kitchen so I could just mix up a small batch of various dressings as needed. (Just mix the dressings by shaking in a jar instead of using a whisk. How easy is that?) My Go To dressing was the classic French Vinaigrette and even it took on all sorts of new dimensions with just small changes to the oil or vinegar makeup. (Ms. Barrister gave me a jar of tarragon infused mustard that practically ruined all other mustards for me when it comes to this classic.) I even made up a quick Caesar Dressing that got my man on board for the year long challenge as well.
My culinary resolutions this year will have me targeting a few of the dishes that I have been wanting to make for some time but just never got to. Duck confit and cassoulet are at the top of this particular list. Christmas added quite a few amazing cookbooks to my collection (see photo below) and so I intend to explore these and the plethora of older cook books I have amassed so as to lay off the blogstalking a bit to make room for them here. (Given how inspiring I find cooking blogs I’ll probably fail at this last resolution but at least I’m going to try.) Lastly, I resolve to be a bit more forthcoming when I don’t like things or when my projects don’t go quite as I had planned. While total failures just don’t happen all that often I will not commit the sin of omission any longer. Everyday Explosions sometimes are a dud.
If you resolved to give up sweets and pastry this year then you should just skip past the rest of this post. You won’t want to contemplate these two or three bite wonders unless you have either 1) a lot of self control or 2) an office full of hungry workmates who will gladly eat these up so as to spare you see this one. I apologize in advance for posting these so soon after the New Year but its cold and rainy outside so I am stuck inside cleaning out closets, dresser drawers, the garage, and even my camera causing me to realize that I had forgotten to post this one . These pumpkin cinnamony things have a blog shelf life in as nobody will really want to see things like this once the holiday food aesthetic wears off. These come courtesy of Mary, The Food Librarian and I knew I had to make them and share at the office. (Since I don’t have self control…)
It was good advice she gave to make these into minis instead of the original full sized. More people at the office felt like they were able to indulge and the box quickly emptied out to become the stuff of office legend.
Make these. You can start your resolution next week…
Mini Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins
Adapted from: Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins from Everyday Food (November 2010), As told by Mary, The Food Librarian.
This is what you will need:
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 14 ounces)
- 2 1/2 teas poons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (original recipe uses nutmeg and allspice)
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (This is almost the entire 15-ounce can of pumpkin)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
This is how you make it:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- I used mini muffin pans. Spray the pan with Pam with Flour, or butter and flour the cups.
- In a bowl, whisk together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- In a small bowl or measure cup, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree.
- With the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture. Do not overmix.
- Spoon into batter. I baked the mini muffins for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the muffins are baking, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- After the muffins sit for 5 minutes, remove muffins and brush the entire muffin with the melted butter. Toss and coat in the sugar mixture. Eat warm or let cool completely.
- Hint: I wore disposable gloves and my left hand held the muffin for the melted butter basting and my right hand mixed the muffins in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Love me some pumpkin.
ohhhhh meeeee I am really going to have to try these really soon. Then I will get back to the business of “losing weight”
This is an evil post you know – they just look too good.
Darn you! You’re making want to bake with pumpkin again! Lol.
I definitely haven’t resolved to give up sweets- that kind of resolution doesn’t last very long for me I’m afraid. Those look SO scrumptious! 🙂
Twin… I have every one of those books and absolutly love Ad Hoc and The French Laundry as resturants. We are sooo spoiled with great food in cali. You are such a great cook and writer and photographer. Okay I sound like a sickophant. Thanks for making me want to eat baked goods again…Lordy I need to adopt the (don’t make that resolution clause.) Nice post friend.B:)
What wonderful cookbooks you got for Christmas! I am sure you are going to enjoy each of them. Your pumpkin doughnut muffins look wonderful and they do make me want to use pumpkin again.
I saw this last night and declined to comment. I immediately got my pumpkin puree out of the freezer to thaw and made these and refrigerated. Baked them in the morning and they came out perfectly. I barely had time to skewer each one and dunk in butter and roll in cinnamon sugar (bypassed surgical gloves), before heading out the door. Rave reviews at work. So thank you. You should put these in your Sis Cook Boom Book. Along with your other Christmas cookbooks…!
I never make food resolutions. Ever. But I do understand about blogstalking. I have decided to try and wean my way off the blogs and back to the books too. One problem those salmon rilletts are calling my name. I have a feeling I am going to read that post next. So much for resolutions… GREG
Dang, now I want a doughnut!
Wow, these look great! I wish I saw this post in october…